CrowBots? What do CrowBots know? They’re dumb as rocks. Their difference engines are tiny. You want to talk to a real thinker? You need to talk to a Clockwork. Each one of those boys are smarter than the whole CrowBot army.
The Clockwork are a Mechan race created to think and recount knowledge.
Housed inside their rich, oak cases, the Clockwork appear much like a grandfather clock. Inside, an array of powerful gear driven difference engines stroke the amazing intellect of these sentient beings.
Created by Factoria for the Authority, the Clockwork handle encryption, data, mathematical and information sciences; determining the likely outcomes of certain events, and also providing facts for key decision makers. Each is usually tasked with focusing on one type of information. Some loaded with map spools of the highway system, while others have data spools dedicated to the birth records of half-trolls. While data spools can be shared between different Clockworks, this rarely happens.
Some common Clockwork specialties:
- Languages
- Mathematics
- Highway maps
- Records
- History
- Battle calculations
- Magik
- Politics
- Scribing (Paper punched ribbon)
- Census information
- Lincolnstein
- Radio cryptology
- Spy Scout reports
- Weather forcasting
- Patents and copyrights
- Criminal records
- Goblin Post (copies of personal letters)
- Soothsaying and Augur arts
- Inquisinator secrets
- AUTHORITY Law
- Data processing (Turning record ribbons into data spools)
It should be noted that while Clockwork are usually tasked with such dry information, a few have been known to apply themselves to higher-arts such as poetry, literature, and even painting. Dathar 31 was a famed Clockwork of the last century, capable of composing and playing the most beautiful music upon his inner workings. All of internal compartments were rigged with gem encrusted music boxes. Sadly, Dathar 31 was reassigned to processing criminal records in the Lincolnstein government.
In short, the Clockwork are the brains of the MONSTRU government, and are controlled with an iron fist. They are exceptionally expensive, and it is very rare to see one outside of Department 13. However, there are a few that have been stolen or wandered off of field assignments never to be seen again.
Record ribbons
These paper ribbons are hole punched by specialized Clockworks, to record and store date for future use. Recorder Clockworks can be found in many areas of governmental agencies and courts, simply collecting data onto ribbons for future use.
However, record ribbons consist of linear data, which is great for storing raw information, but not very useful for quickly gathering specific facts. (It can take hours to search through a single record ribbon to find one piece of information.) If data is important enough, it will be processed and encoded onto data spools. Most Clockworks can read both record ribbons and data spools.
Data spools
A data spool is an interchangeable module that contains vast information. They are shaped a bit like a turnip, and contain an incredible number of tiny beads, belts, tubes, and glass gears. They are exceptionally fragile and expensive. Each is focused upon a single subject matter, and often groups of data spools are loaded into a Clockwork to provide a wide breadth of information.
That said, it is completely up to the Clockwork to access and interpret that information. It is the prime reason that Clockworks have value at all; they are indispensable at bringing meaning to raw data. A data spool without a Clockwork is worthless. A Clockwork without a data spool is intellectually average.
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